Military association takes aim at Wu

TICKLING THE IVORIES?：Legislator Wu Yu-sheng was reported to have had an affair with a piano teacher, a fact that was seized upon by a military school alumni association

By Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter

Fri, Feb 01, 2013 - Page 3

Following criticism by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) of retired military personnel, a military school alumni association yesterday responded with a statement saying that retired military personnel are engaged in jobs that benefit society, including running “love hotels” that Wu may spend time in, and have remained loyal to their spouses — a thinly veiled reference to Wu’s extramarital affair.

In a discussion on pension reform for civil servants, public school teachers and military personnel, Wu said last week that many retired military officers have other jobs or run their own businesses, and may be collecting retirement pensions while also earning extra money.

He also said that in receiving “double pay,” retired military officers not only make more money in retirement than many other people, but also reduce employment opportunities for younger job seekers.

The remarks have upset some retired military personnel, and the Chung Cheng Armed Forces Preparatory School Alumni Association released a statement on its Web site in response.

The school, located in Greater Kaohsiung, is one of the most important officer training academies in the country.

In the undated statement, the association said that its members have served the nation and its people and have started their lives over with a retirement pension from the state, as well as working in other jobs as law-abiding civilians after retirement.

“The jobs that most of us do are economically beneficial to the country and its people, and those who run their own businesses also create employment opportunities,” the statement said. “Those who run love hotels also serve the leisure needs of Legislator Wu ... we have all stayed loyal, and never committed adultery, and it is incomprehensible that Legislator Wu could not understand our situation.”

The statement went on to say that many of its members now regret supporting Wu’s electoral campaigns “in spite of the moral issue,” and have decided to “never vote for untrustworthy politicians to avoid appeasing shameless people.”

The statement apparently refers to Wu’s extramarital affair.

In November 2009, he was reported by the Chinese-language Apple Daily to have stayed at a luxury motel in Taipei with piano teacher Rebecca Sun (孫仲瑜).

Wu immediately admitted that he had an affair with Sun, and apologized to his wife and supporters.